Best horror movies to see in theaters this Halloween

Halloween falls on a Thursday evening this year, which means that in addition to all the Halloween parties, events and trick-r-treating, there will also be some fun group outings to the movies in the hopes of seeing something spooky. chilling or gruesome on the big screen. Luckily for them, horror has become as much of a must-have for studios as superhero films; Halloween 2024 has a whopping half a dozen different horror films currently in theaters for fans to choose from.

Here are your choices!

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Best horror movies to see in theaters this Halloween 2024

Smile 2

Smile 2 is the sequel to writer-producer-director Parker Finn’s 2022 breakthrough film. The sequel moves beyond the concept of a grinning supernatural entity as a trauma virus is applied to mega-pop star Skye Riley (Naomi Scott), who must face a very menacing audience before embarking on her world tour.

Smile 2 is overwhelmingly praised as far superior to the original film, not to mention one of the best horror films of the year. Star Naomi Scott (Power Rangers, Disney’s Aladdin) has even sparked discussions about award nominations (Golden Globe, Oscar) for her performance. With its mix of psychological, supernatural and gory horror, Smile 2 delivers on all fronts.

Read our Smile 2 Review here

MORE: 7 Movies to Watch at Home Instead Smile 2

Scarer 3

Art the Clown has gone from a hopeful indie horror to one of the biggest icons of the Halloween 2024 season. Writer-producer-director Damien Leone’s threequel Scarer 3 has also become the ‘double dare to see it’ horror film event of the year, with scenes so graphic and disturbing that it made even the film crew nervous.

If you’re looking for the hardest hardcore horror movies for your Halloween viewing experience, look no further.

The fabric

The fabric is the breakout horror hit of the season, and more hype is building every day. Writer-producer-director Coralie Fargeat delivers one of the best and most biting satirical horror films in years – one with an insane body-horror inflection. The story follows former movie star Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore) who celebrates her 50th birthday (and a serious injury) by taking a black market drug called ‘the Substance’, creating a much younger version of herself (Margaret Qualley) .

We’ll stop there, because the actual mechanics of using the substance (and the inevitable costs) are the true “horror” of Fargeat’s film. Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley both deserve high praise for their respective performances, while Coralie Faregeat is saluted for her Cronenberg-ian Crazy Friday removal of Hollywood beauty standards.

Heretic*

This new film from Scott Beck and Bryan Woods will hit theaters the week after Halloween – but if The Simpsons can do Halloween specials a week (or so) later, why not this list?

Heretic explores the dark, twisted story of two Mormon missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) who come to the wrong house. That house is owned by “Mr. Reed” (Hugh Grant), who turns out to have a very nefarious reason for luring the two girls to his house – a reason that could break their faith, but also take their lives.

Watch our interviews with the Heretic Cast & Crew

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

On the lighter side of things: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is still in theaters, and some fans may have been waiting for the Halloween holiday to enjoy it!

In the sequel, Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder) returns to Winter River with her daughter Astrid (Jenna Ortega) and stepmother Delia (Catherine O’Hara) to bury her father Charles. Unfortunately, ancient ghosts still haunt that town, and it isn’t long before Astrid is dragged into the Ghost World, forcing Lydia and Delia to ally with Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton) to get her back.

Tim Burton seems to have struck cult hit gold again, so Beetlejuice Beetlejuice stayed at the top of the box office for three consecutive weeks and continues to play in theaters nearly two months after opening (it was even true Joker 2).

Read our Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Review here

Speak no evil

If you like thrillers more than outright horror, then Speak no evil is the one you need to see this year. The remake of the Danish original film takes every couple’s least favorite social situation (forced companionship with another couple/family) and turns it into an unbearable downward spiral of increasing tension and awkwardness – and that’s before it turns into a full-blown slasher /survival experience.

It’s James McAvoy’s biggest must-see performance since M. Night Shyamalan Splitand concrete proof that the former X-Men actor has a unique talent at playing a terrifying villain.

Read our Speak no evil Review here

Reissues

Check your local theater listings! Film re-releases have become a staple of the industry – and seasonal re-releases are a growing trend.

During Halloween 2024 we have the The Texas Chainsaw Massacre back in theaters for its 50th anniversary, as well as the animated classic The nightmare before Christmasand the seasonal classic, Hocus Pocus.

Also back in theaters are more recent films such as horror-comedy hits Happy dying day and cult horror hit The black phone. During Devil’s Night (October 30) and Halloween (October 31), you can find the horror game adaptation Five nights at Freddy’s and Laika Studios’ stop-motion classic Coraline back in theaters (respectively).

Finally, if you missed one of the biggest indie horror hits of 2024: Long legscan also be seen in cinemas throughout the Halloween period.